As America celebrates its 250th birthday this year, there’s a place right here on the Central Coast where that history isn’t just remembered, it’s preserved, restored and kept alive.
It sits at the edge of the Paso Robles Airport on land that itself is steeped in American military history. It is the site of the old Estrella Army Air Force Base, a World War II training field that helped shape the greatest generation.
Today, the Estrella Warbirds Museum calls that same airfield home, and it has grown into one of the most remarkable collections of military history in California.
More than 40 aircraft, 50 military vehicles, missiles, military displays, a radio room, and even a flight simulator, all spanning from World War I through the Gulf War.
“I have a lot of respect for the overall museum because my dad was in the Navy in World War II, stationed in Guam. He was fortunate enough to come home," said Joe Chiaramonte, Estrella Warbirds Museum Board of Directors President. "What this whole museum does is it stirs a lot of memories and it preserves history, and it helps people who come visit the museum to understand how our freedoms have been maintained throughout history.”
Chiaramonte moved to the area just a few years ago. He volunteered at the museum because of his passion for classic cars, and quickly found himself at the helm.
He says what surprised him the most wasn’t the collection itself, but how few locals even know it exists.
“Even people in Paso Robles don’t know we’re here, and that’s a shame because it is a one-of-a-kind museum. It encompasses so much. You could be a car nut, you could be a wing nut, you could be a history buff. All those things are encompassed here," Chiaramonte said. "We log people from all 50 states and 35 countries, and they’re amazed what we have in such a small town.”
It really is something to see — several museums in one. The aviation and military collection shares the facility with the Woodland Auto Display, home to vintage race cars, hot rods, and classic automobiles that stir their own kind of memories.
The artifacts here come mostly from donations — families that aren’t quite sure what to do with a grandfather’s medals or a father’s flight gear. Now those memories have a permanent home.
“Those who forget history are destined to repeat it, and we have to recall what we’ve been through and know where we’ve been to know where we’re going. That’s what I think the takeaway is,” Chiaramonte said.
This fall, the museum is planning a special Veterans Day weekend event, putting veterans in front of the very planes they served with to share their stories firsthand. On America’s 250th, that kind of living history may be the most important exhibit of all.
The museum is located on Dry Creek Road at the Paso Robles Airport and is open Thursday through Sunday. Visit the Estrella Warbirds Museum website for more information.
